FOAM MAT WITH DIFFERENTLY COLORED BORDER

Abstract

A foam mat with a differently colored border includes an upper layer and a lower layer overlaid with the upper layer. The upper and lower layers are made of foaming materials of different colors, and each peripheral side of the foam mat is processed into an inclined edge where the lower layer extends further outward than the upper layer. The inclined edges show differently colored layers which are both easily identifiable and esthetically pleasing. The inclined edge at each peripheral side of the foam mat also provides a slope which reduces the chance of a user's feet hitting the foam mat by accident when the user is stepping on the foam mat.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to a foam mat structure and, more particularly, to a foam mat with a differently colored border.

2. Description of Related Art

Generally, a resilient exercise mat is laid on a cold, hard floor where yoga is to be practiced or other physical exercises such as push-ups or sit-ups are to be performed. A conventional exercise mat, as shown in FIG. 9, has a foam mat body 91 formed by the foaming reaction of a plastic foaming material. The resilience of the foam mat body 91 provides protection for the user's body by keeping it from hitting the hard floor directly and thus enhances the comfort and safety of the activity being carried out.

However, the cushioning effect of the conventional exercise mat decreases with the thickness 92 of the foam mat body 91, and yet increasing the thickness 92 may cause the user to trip or fall when he or she steps on the exercise mat. In particular, the conventional exercise mat is typically monochromatic, which not only is lacking esthetically, but also can be confusing to the user if the color of the exercise mat is similar to that of the floor, for, in that case, the user may have problem identifying the border of the exercise mat and end up stepping out of the exercise mat during exercise or hitting the exercise mat inadvertently with the foot trying to step on it.

To address the problems stated above, the market is now supplied with exercise mats whose peripheral sides are hot-pressed to form a shrunken border. Such an exercise mat is nevertheless unsightly, and the border is not as conspicuous as expected. In other words, hot-pressing is not an effective solution. An alternative approach is to border an exercise mat with a different or differently colored material that covers the peripheral sides of the exercise mat. While this approach produces a better border-marking effect, the bordering process is complicated and incurs high production cost.

In view of the above, and in order to overcome the aforesaid problems, the inventor of the present invention conducted extensive research and experiment and finally succeeded in developing a foam mat with a differently colored border as disclosed herein.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a foam mat having a differently colored border which is readily identifiable, which enhances the foam mat esthetically, and which effectively reduces the chance of a user's feet hitting the foam mat inadvertently.

To achieve this objective, the present invention provides a foam mat having a differently colored border, wherein the foam mat includes an upper layer and a lower layer overlaid with the upper layer. The upper layer and the lower layer are made of foaming materials of different colors, and each peripheral side of the foam mat is processed into an inclined edge in which the lower layer extends further outward than the upper layer.

Preferably, each peripheral side of the foam mat is processed by cutting or grinding.

Furthermore, the lower layer can be formed by a foaming and forming process in which raw foaming materials of various colors are randomly arranged on the bottom of a foaming mold in order for the lower layer of the foam mat to have an irregular pattern once the foaming and forming process is completed.

Moreover, the inclined edge at each peripheral side of the foam mat shows differently colored layers due to the difference in color between the upper and lower layers.

The present invention also provides a foam mat having a differently colored border, wherein the foam mat includes an upper layer, at least one intermediate layer overlaid with the upper layer, and a lower layer overlaid with the intermediate layer. Each two adjacent layers are made of foaming materials of different colors, and each peripheral side of the foam mat is processed into an inclined edge in which the intermediate layer extends further outward than the upper layer and the lower layer extends further outward than the intermediate layer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The advantages as well as the foregoing objective of the present invention can be better understood by referring to the following detailed description of some illustrative embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional side view of the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 schematically shows how the first embodiment of the present invention is made;

FIG. 5 is a sectional side view of the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a top view of the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a sectional side view of the third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a top view of the third embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 9 schematically shows a state of use of a conventional exercise mat.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 for the foam mat 10 with a differently colored border according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the foam mat 10 is composed of an upper layer 11 and a lower layer 21 overlaid with the upper layer 11. The upper layer 11 and the lower layer 21 are made of foaming materials of different colors, and each peripheral side of the foam mat 10 is processed to form an inclined edge 31 where the lower layer 21 extends further outward than the upper layer 11. As the upper and lower layers 11 and 21 are different in color, the inclined edge 31 at each peripheral side of the foam mat 31 shows differently colored layers 32 and 33. Consequently, the surface of the foam mat 10 is formed with and surrounded by the two differently colored layers 32 and 33, which serve as the border of the foam mat 10 and are clearly identifiable. In addition, thanks to the slope provided by the inclined edge 31 at each lateral side of the foam mat 10, one who tries to step on the foam mat 10 is less likely to hit it inadvertently with their feet and is thus effectively prevented from tripping over the foam mat 10.

Moreover, the foam mat 10 of the present invention is so designed that the differently colored layers 32 and 33 of the inclined edge 31 at each peripheral side add significantly to the variation in appearance and the esthetic value of the foam mat 10.

The foam mat 10 in the first embodiment can be made in the following manner. To begin with, referring to FIG. 4, foaming materials are made to foam and are formed into a sheet with two layers of different colors. Then, each peripheral side of the foam mat 10 is processed by cutting. More specifically, each peripheral side of the foam mat 10 is cut along an inclined line C as shown in FIG. 4 such that the surface area of the upper layer 11 of the foam mat 10 is smaller than that of the lower layer 21. Thus, each peripheral side of the foam mat 10 forms an inclined edge 31 where the lower layer 21 extends further outward than the upper layer 11.

Of course, as a person of ordinary skill in the art would understand, grinding can be carried out in place of the cutting step stated above, and each lateral side of the foam mat 10 will form an inclined edge 31 with the lower layer 21 extending further outward than the upper layer 11 just as well. An inclined edge 31 formed by grinding will have a more level surface than that formed by cutting.

FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 show the foam mat 20 with a differently colored border according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that, while the foam mat 20 is also composed of an upper layer 11 and a lower layer 21 overlaid with the upper layer 11, the lower layer 21 is made in a different way. More specifically, during the foaming and forming process of the foam mat 20, raw foaming materials of various colors are randomly arranged on the bottom of the forming mold where the lower layer 21 is to be formed. Once the foaming and forming process of the foam mat 20 is completed, the lower layer 21 is formed with an irregular pattern distinct from the upper layer 11. The steps that follow remain the same, including processing each peripheral side of the foam mat 20 by cutting or grinding so as to provide each peripheral side of the foam mat 20 with an inclined edge 31 where the lower layer 21 extends further outward than the upper layer 11. As the inclined edges 31 show layers 32 and 33 of different colors, the surface of the foam mat 20 is formed with and surrounded by the two differently colored layers 32 and 33, which serve as the border of the foam mat 20 and are clearly identifiable. The slope provided by the inclined edge 31 at each peripheral side of the foam mat 20 also makes it less likely for a user to hit the foam mat 20 inadvertently with his or her feet while stepping on the foam mat 20. Besides, the irregular pattern of the lower layer 21 not only renders the border of the foam mat 20 highly identifiable, but also features variation that lends uniqueness, beauty, and hence value to the foam mat 20.

Referring to FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 for the foam mat 30 with a differently colored border according to the third embodiment of the present invention, the foam mat 30 is composed of an upper layer 11, at least one intermediate layer 15 overlaid with the upper layer 11, and a lower layer 21 overlaid with the intermediate layer 15. Each two adjacent layers are made of foaming materials of different colors, and each peripheral side of the foam mat 30 is processed by cutting or grinding in order to form an inclined edge 31 where the intermediate layer 15 extends further outward than the upper layer 11 and the lower layer 21 extends further outward than the intermediate layer 15.

As each two adjacent layers of the upper, intermediate, and lower layers 11, 15, and 21 are of different colors, the inclined edge 31 at each peripheral side of the foam mat 30 shows differently colored layers 32˜36. In this embodiment, there are three intermediate layers 15 between the upper layer 11 and the lower layer 21, and each two adjacent layers are different in color. Thus, as shown in FIG. 8, the surface of the foam mat 30 is formed with and surrounded by the multicolored layers 32˜36, which form a clearly identifiable border consisting of five concentric rectangles. In addition to being highly identifiable, the inclined edge 31 at each peripheral side of the foam mat 30 provides a slope that reduces the chance of a user's feet hitting the foam mat 30 by accident or the user tripping over the foam mat 30 when stepping on it.

Furthermore, the foam mat 30 in the third embodiment of the present invention is enhanced both esthetically and in terms of variation in appearance, thanks to the array of multicolored layers 32˜36 of the inclined edge 31 at each peripheral edge of the foam mat 30. It is understood that the upper layer 11, the intermediate layer 15, or the lower layer 21 of the foam mat 30 with a differently colored border can also be made by the foaming and forming process described above in relation to the second embodiment in order to create an irregular pattern. More specifically, during the foaming and forming process of at least one of the upper layer 11, the intermediate layer 15, and the lower layer 21 of the foam mat 30, raw foaming materials of various colors can be randomly arranged in the foaming mold to impart an irregular pattern to the resulting foam mat 30. This irregular pattern not only makes the border of the foam mat 30 highly identifiable, but also shows variation that gives the final product a unique, beautiful look and consequently much higher value.

The embodiments disclosed above serve only to shed light on, but not to limit, the present invention. Substitutions of equivalent elements should fall within the scope of the present invention.

The foregoing description is provided as required by the Patent Act to enable a person skilled in the art to understand that the present invention is indeed capable of achieving the aforementioned objective. A patent application for the present invention is hereby filed according to law.

Claims

1. A foam mat with a differently colored border, comprising an upper layer and a lower layer overlaid with the upper layer, wherein the upper layer and the lower layer are made of foaming materials of different colors, and each peripheral side of the foam mat is processed to form an inclined edge in which the lower layer extends further outward than the upper layer.

2. The foam mat of claim 1, wherein each said peripheral side of the foam mat is processed by cutting or grinding.

3. The foam mat of claim 1, wherein the lower layer undergoes a foaming and forming process in which raw foaming materials of various colors are randomly arranged in a forming mold such that, after the foaming and forming process, the lower layer of the foam mat is formed with an irregular pattern.

4. The foam mat of claim 1, wherein the inclined edge at each said peripheral side of the foam mat shows differently colored layers attributable to the different colors of the upper layer and the lower layer.

5. A foam mat with a differently colored border, comprising an upper layer, at least one intermediate layer overlaid with the upper layer, and a lower layer overlaid with the intermediate layer, wherein each two adjacent said layers are made of foaming materials of different colors, and each peripheral side of the foam mat is processed to form an inclined edge in which the intermediate layer extends further outward than the upper layer and the lower layer extends further outward than the intermediate layer.

6. The foam mat of claim 5, wherein each said peripheral side of the foam mat is processed by cutting or grinding.

7. The foam mat of claim 5, wherein the inclined edge at each said peripheral side of the foam mat shows differently colored layers attributable to the different colors of each two adjacent said layers.

8. The foam mat of claim 5, wherein at least one of the upper layer, the intermediate layer, and the lower layer of the foam mat undergoes a foaming and forming process in which raw foaming materials of various colors are randomly arranged in a forming mold such that, after the foaming and forming process, the at least one layer of the foam mat is formed with an irregular pattern.